Improvement in hitching-posts



UNITED STATES JULIUS MELOHERS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN HlTCHlNG-POSTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 127,085, dated May 21,1872.

To whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JULIUS MELOHERS, of Detroit, in the county of Wayneand State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement inHitching-Posts; and I do declare that the following is a true andaccurate description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon and being a partof this specification, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved hitching-post, and Fig. 2is a detail of the chain-lock at'the corner of the mouth of the figure.

Like letters refer to like parts in each figure.

This invention relates to an improved construction of hitching-postsconstructed wholly of metal, or partly of wood and partly of metal, witha chain contained in its hollow body, weighted at the inner end to drawit in when not in use, the outer end being provided with a snaphook toattach to the bit-ring of a horse. The invention consists in a hollowpost surmounted by the head of an animal, in cast metal, in which and inthe hollow post a hitching-chain is contained, with a snap-hook at theouter and aweight at the inner end. The outer. end of the chain issuesfrom the mouth of the figure, the; peculiarity of which is that thecorners of the month have an angular recess in which to receive a linkof the chain, and thus lock it so that the weight can-- not draw it innor the horse draw it further out.

In the drawing, A represents a hollow wooden post, to be set in theground. B is a, cast-metal representation of a horses head, with themouth open. The neck of the figure rises from a hollow capital, B,which, like a collar, slips over the top of the wooden post, beingsecured thereto by screws d or a transverse bolt, 1), or both, said boltalso serving as a stop for the weight 0 within the body of the post, towhich is secured one end of a chain, D, the other end passing out at themouth of the figure, terminating in a ring, D, which prevents it frompassing back into the post, and to which ring a snap-hook is alsoattached. The corners of the mouth are not symmetrically formed, as anangular recess, 0, is made in each, into which any horizontal link ofthe chain may be drawn into either recess, which will lock the chainfast, thusopreventing the weight from drawing or pulling the horsetoward the post, which causes him to fret and draw out the chain, thefrequent repetition of which wears the chain. It also prevents the horsefrom moving further from the position given him when the chain is soadjusted. To prevent the horse from detaching or removing the chain fromits recess the postshould be so set that the figure will head away fromthe roadway, so that the greater the strain on the chain is the morefirmly will it be held by the recess. The entire post may be made ofmetal; but it is found much cheaper to make the column of wood and theornamental figure-head of metal, as it is the only part of the postwhich a horse would attempt to bite.

What I claim as mydnvention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-- The chain D, having weight 0 and ring 1), in combination with themetallic head B, having angular recessed open mouth, and arranged uponthe hollow post A, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JULIUS MELOHERS.

Witnesses H. S. SPRAGUE, H. F. EBERTS.

